The Greater Victoria Teachers Association’s president says the issue of police’s role in school is complex, but she hopes the appointment of a safety plan special advisor could help mend community relationships which became strained over the issue.
“I certainly think that there’s been a challenge between the relationship, between the Victoria Police Department and our school board. Some mediation I think there, could be very helpful in trying to really create the parameters around a police program in our schools that our board has certainly been seeking,” Carolyn Howe said. “I’m optimistic a special advisor could maybe broker some of that work.”
She told Al Ferraby that sometimes she thinks the Greater Victoria School District (61) board hurt the police’s feelings when it decided to shift directions.
She also described some of the board’s main points for how police ought to be involved on campus. Howe said there should be goals involved in knowing what police are there to do, with parameters.
“One of the really key points is that police won’t be used in student discipline or student behaviour response, unless there is a criminal reason to do so. So trying to get that, kind of clarified with police has been challenging and I am not sure exactly why that is.”
Howe was on CFAX 1070 a few hours before a district 61 safety plan was posted on the board’s website. That document, dated November 15, is what the ministry of education rejected during the fall.
The posting of that document comes after the minister now responsible for education, Lisa Beare, appointed the special advisor to help the board create a new safety plan.